Joint diseases are one of the most common manifestations of disorders of the musculoskeletal system. They develop in the presence of inflammatory, degenerative-dystrophic, infectious processes in the body, as well as as a result of congenital traumas and abnormalities.
Doctors distinguish dozens of different joint diseases that have quite similar symptoms (pain, cracking, restriction of movement). This complicates the diagnosis and interferes with timely treatment. Therefore, in this article, experts will tell you about the manifestations and features of the development of the most common joint pathologies.
Characteristics of joints and causes of their diseases
A joint is any connection of two or more bones. There are 38 pairs of joints in the human body (76 knots in total). They provide mobility and flexibility for our body. Movement is a vital function and if the disease limits it, then the quality and duration of life decreases.
Each joint has an articular surface - these are the bone surfaces that enter it, covered with a special, hyaline cartilage. It is dense, elastic and is needed to protect bones from corrosion during movement. It also ensures their perfect match with each other. It is the consumption of cartilage that becomes the common cause of pain, cracking, stiffness and other signs of disease in the joints.
The connections are characterized by a complex structure. Joint surfaces, capsules, cracks, synovium, periarticular muscles and ligaments - all of these structures provide motor and joint support functions. Their damage can provoke the development of the disease.
Causes of diseases
Many people mistakenly believe that only the elderly suffer from joint disease, due to age-related changes and weakness of the body. But this is not the case!
Joint diseases can develop as a result of:
- injuries;
- excess weight;
- Physical activity;
- improper attitude;
- flat feet;
- hereditary predisposition;
- food with insufficient micronutrient content;
- diseases of the internal organs;
- metabolic disorders;
- transferred operations;
- infections.
People of absolutely any age and even those with relatively good health (for example, men and women of working age, adolescents, children, athletes, etc. ) can cope with the action of these factors.
Therefore, this group of diseases is becoming younger - in terms of frequency of occurrence and disability, it is second only to cardiovascular and endocrinological diseases and their treatment is associated with high financial costs.
Mechanism of development and types of diseases
In the pathogenesis of joint damage, physicians distinguish 4 possible pathways:
First: the presence of inflammation in the body
This type of lesion is characterized by a sudden onset, with a rapid increase in symptoms of inflammation: swelling, pain, redness, fever. Occurs in infections, allergies, autoimmune processes in children and adults.
Juvenile arthritis
It is characterized by an autoimmune process (i. e. the body destroys itself), the cause of which is unknown. Transmitted infections, even in a mild form (for example, vaccines), are often provocative.
The disease affects a large joint (knee, elbow) in children and adolescents, negatively affects their growth and development. Joint pain is associated with severe swelling, skin rash and fever.
Rheumatoid arthritis
It is also caused by an autoimmune process without any obvious cause. Most often women are sick, the average age is 45-50 years. Up to 70% of patients become disabled.
Affects a small joint (or several), for example, wrists, fingers. This affects patients' ability to work and even self-care. They complain of severe pain, swelling, changes in the shape of the joints and morning stiffness in them.
Psoriatic arthritis
In almost half of patients diagnosed with psoriasis, the inflammatory process develops in the small joints of the hands, feet, and spine. The cause of arthritis, as well as the cause of the underlying disease, is unknown.
Psoriatic arthritis can affect the interdigital and large joints (elbow, knee), one or more joints, symmetrically or not.
The main manifestation is the presence of pain extending to the ligaments and tendons, swelling and blue skin of the fingers, restriction of mobility.
Gout arthritis
It develops against the background of gout, as a result of the deposition of uric acid salts in the joints. Men suffer more often than women, respectively 40-50 years old and over 60 years old.
Characteristic is the loss of a joint, which begins suddenly, lasts several weeks, is accompanied by severe pain and swelling, with the formation of uric acid joints (tofuses).
Spondyloarthritis with ankylosing spondylitis
A chronic lesion in which the spine, paravertebral muscles, and pelvic sacroiliac nodes are affected.
Men are more likely to suffer from the disease than women and it develops between the ages of 20-30. Their main complaint is pain in the lower back, in the sacrum, in the hip joints; stiffness of movement after a period of rest (especially in the morning, after sleep).
Even with symptom relief and relative well-being, without eliminating the root cause, inflammation continues to develop and, over time, will cause a new deterioration. Therefore, joint pathology often becomes chronic and leads to disability.
Second: the presence of a degenerative-dystrophic process
With this type of lesion, the joint is destroyed by physical factors. Injuries and microtraumas, constant physical exertion over the norm, harmful effects of the environment (hypothermia, tremors) - all these pathological factors cause the destruction of cartilage and narrowing of the joint space.
Deforming osteoarthritis
It develops as a result of damage and destruction of the articular cartilage. Its articular surfaces become rough and sensitive to friction. Over time, the process of destruction goes to the bones, capsule, synovium, ligaments and muscles. Chronic inflammation and changes in the shape of the joint appear.
Osteoarthritis is the most common joint pathology. It reduces patients' quality of life, causes disability and is difficult to treat. In youth, men are more likely to get sick, in old age - women.
Clinically, osteoarthritis manifests itself with severe pain and limited mobility, which increase with physical exertion. In the later stages, even rest and tranquility do not bring relief.
Osteochondrosis
It affects the spine and is caused by degenerative processes in the intervertebral discs. Under the influence of negative factors, the nutrition of the discs breaks down, which leads to their loss of shape (up to the formation of extensions and hernias), aging and destruction.
As a result, the spine loses its mobility, pain, numbness, stiffness in movement, muscle weakness, difficulty urinating and emptying the intestines, headache, dizziness appear. The symptoms depend on the part of the spine in which osteochondrosis has developed and can be very different.
Deformative spondylarthrosis
This condition is also called "aspect syndrome". In this case, the process of destruction affects the structures of the intervertebral joints (capsules, ligaments, aspects).
Most often it occurs in the most "overloaded" part of the spine - the waist. It appears as pain that radiates to the legs and intensifies with prolonged walking or standing in one place.
Osteochondropathy
Caused by aseptic (non-infectious) bone necrosis, for example, due to impaired blood supply. As a result, the bones that enter the joints are prone to frequent fractures. In advanced cases, patients can be seriously injured even during sleep.
In the early stages, the disease does not manifest itself in any way. Many of the sick are athletes and people who lead a "healthy" lifestyle. The former are subjected to excessive stress, the latter deliberately limit their diet and deprive the body of the necessary substances.
To destroy the dense and elastic cartilage, the pathogenic factor must act on the joint for years, therefore degenerative-dystrophic changes are more common in old age. Or it should act with superpower, as in sports.
Many professional athletes become disabled in their youth.
Third: congenital joint pathologies
This type of lesion causes abnormalities in the structure and development of the joints as a result of infections and injuries of the mother, concomitant pathology, late toxicosis and genetic diseases.
Frequent manifestations of congenital anomalies are birth trauma, for example, thigh dislocation or clavicle bone fracture.
Congenital dysplasia of the hip joints
It develops as a result of violation of the formation of all articular structures in the prenatal period and after birth. Predisposing factors are heredity and tight diapers. Girls are more susceptible to this pathology than boys - the incidence rate is 80% and 20%, respectively.
With dysplasia, the shape of the joint changes and its ligaments are very elastic. This causes the femur to move and impedes the mobility of the hip joint, which can lead to disability.
Congenital crooked foot
Deformity in which, due to ankle joint damage, the foot deviates from the inside relative to the lower part of the foot.
Cryptic feet often affect boys and in half of the cases it is bilateral. If the defect is not eliminated in time, the child will not be able to walk normally and will remain disabled.
Marfan syndrome
Genetic pathology in which the patient has elongated bones in the arms and legs as well as hypermobility (excessive mobility) of the joints.
In the early stages, many congenital joint pathologies can be completely eliminated or development can be slowed down using conservative methods. Late diagnosis and treatment can lead to impairment of support and mobility functions, up to and including disability.
Fourth: diseases of the muscles and ligaments of the ankle
Pathologies of this group often develop as a result of increased physical exertion and hypothermia.
Tendonitis
Inflammation and destruction of the tendon. It is associated with his tension and painful sensations, especially in the weather.
myositis
Development of inflammation in the periarticular muscles. It is accompanied by pain when the affected area is felt, which increases with movement.
bursitis
The inflammatory process is localized in the joint capsule. Often affects professional athletes (wrestlers, runners, weightlifters).
Synovitis
Damage to the synovial membrane by the accumulation of fluid in the ankle cavity. It is accompanied by pain, swelling, stiffness of movements.
The relationship between disease and type of wrist
There is a definite pattern in which node is affected by which pathology. Some of them even have their own special names.
For example,knee-jointcan be affected at any age, regardless of the patient's gender and occupation. But loss of the meniscus and cruciate ligaments is more common in athletes. Gonarthrosis - in the elderly. Arthritis of infectious origin - in children.
Pain inshoulder jointcan be caused by sup-scapular periarthritis, cervical osteochondrosis, osteoarthritis.
ABOUTelbow jointTypical damage to periarticular tissues - epicondyle or "tennis elbow", "golfer's elbow".
The hip joint is most often affected in older people. As a result of osteoporosis and coxarthrosis are at risk of femoral neck fracture.
Pain insmall nodeshands and feet is observed in rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic, gout.
But despite the specific manifestations, the diagnosis of joint pathology often causes difficulties, which is fraught with a delayed start of treatment and the risk of complications.
Symptoms and diagnosis
Among the complaints that concern patients with joint pathology are:
- Bitterness;
- Swelling and swelling;
- Change of shape;
- Stiffness of movement;
- Inability to perform normal range of motion.
Doctors call them joint syndrome. Doctors call them joint syndrome. It is also possible for the appearance of skin rash, redness on it and dense joints. Of the general symptoms, patients often complain of an increase in temperature in the lesion area or throughout the body, increased fatigue.
By reading the previous section, you may have noticed that all of these symptoms are found in almost every joint pathology. Therefore, it is impossible to make a clear diagnosis based only on your complaints - you need an examination and consultation with a doctor.
During the examination of the patient, the doctor not only pays attention to his complaints. To establish an accurate diagnosis, it is important to know the time of their onset, which joint is affected, one or several of them, whether this lesion is symmetrical, and other factors.
Let's take a closer look at each symptom:
Grief:
Occurs in almost any pathology. Doctors distinguish several types of it:
- inflammatory- increases in the morning, after a period of rest. Typical of rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile, gout, spondyloarthritis.
- Engineering- appears during physical exertion or change of body position, often in the late afternoon, disappears after rest. Typical of osteoarthritis, osteoarthritis, osteochondrosis, periarticular tissue pathology.
- "Start"- occurs in the first 15-20 minutes of physical activity after a rest period. Typical of osteoarthritis.
- "Blockade"- caused by compression in the key space of a cartilaginous fragment, as a result of which the "wedge" node. May be accompanied by crackling noise. Occurs in osteoarthritis.
- constant- continues, regardless of the load and time of day, may increase at night. Typical of osteochondropathy, osteomyelitis, bone tumors and tuberculosis.
Number of keys affected:
- One (monoarthritis): with juvenile arthritis, gout, psoriatic.
- Two-four (oligoarthritis): with rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthritis.
- More than four (polarity): with rheumatoid arthritis, gout.
Lesion symmetry:
- Symmetrical: for rheumatoid arthritis.
- Asymmetric: for spondyloarthritis, gout, osteoarthritis.
- "Migrant": with gout.
Morning stiffness in the joints:
From the patient feels both the impossibility and tension of movement. Occurs in the morning and is accompanied by accumulation of fluid in the joint cavity at night. Typical of rheumatoid arthritis, spondyloarthritis.
The doctor also pays attention to general complaints:
- Increased body temperature;
- Redness of the skin, the presence of a rash on it;
- Damage to internal organs.
To establish an accurate diagnosis, laboratory (blood, key fluid analysis) and instrumental (X-ray, CT, MRI, ultrasound) studies are needed.
Conclusion
Joint pain and dysfunction can be caused by a variety of reasons. There are pathologies that can not be treated, but many of them, with adequate and timely treatment, allow man to live a full life. Therefore, if you have at least one of the listed symptoms, contact your doctor - do not diagnose yourself, do not prescribe treatment and even more do not tolerate the pain.
We use a holistic approach to treating joint pain, thanks to which many of our patients have regained the joy of movement.